NEW YORK: A federal judge in New York has rejected a bid by Aafia Siddiqui to have her conviction for shooting at American soldiers overturned.

Judge Richard Berman issued the ruling on Thursday. Aafia Siddiqui had said in court papers that her 2010 conviction should be thrown out because she was forced to use lawyers paid for by the government of Pakistan.

A scientist trained in United States, Ms Siddiqui became a terrorism suspect after she left the US and married a nephew of self-proclaimed 9/11 attacks mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Know more: Conviction unfair, pleads Aafia Siddiqui

She was reportedly wounded during a confrontation with US authorities in Afghanistan in 2008. Witnesses say she shot at the Americans.

She’s serving 86 years behind bars.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2014